May 2, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged the House of Representatives to pass legislation that would repeal a job-killing de facto moratorium on new oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico by the Obama Administration.

The legislation will require the Secretary of Interior to act within 30 days on an application to drill.

“The Obama Administration embargo on Gulf drilling is having serious consequences on domestic production in the Gulf,” Wilson said, citing data from the Energy Information Agency (EIA). Gulf oil production will decrease over the next two years by 380,000 barrels a day from its 2010 level of 1.64 million to 1.26 million.

“That’s a 23 percent drop,” Wilson said. “Although partially offset by increases in on-land oil production, the decrease in Gulf drilling will result in a net decrease of U.S. oil production by 150,000 barrels a day over the next two years.”

Wilson said drilling in the Gulf would help the economy: “Increasing domestic oil production will help direct investment in the U.S., create jobs, and might place some downward pressure on prices.”

He cited a study by Dr. Joseph Mason from Louisiana State University predicted that if the Obama practical ban of deepwater drilling were sustained for 18 months, 36,137 jobs nationwide could be lost, including 24,532 jobs on the Gulf Coast alone.

Wilson concluded, “To be energy independent, the U.S. would need to more than double domestic oil production from its current level of 5.5 million barrels a day. Stepping up production in the Gulf is a good start.”